The present invention generally relates to child safety devices. More particularly, this invention relates to infant car seats capable of functioning as strollers.
Child car seats are required by law in every state in the United States. While specific laws regarding age and weight requirements vary from state to state, most states require infants younger than one to be restrained in a rear-facing infant car seat. Children this young are generally unable to walk or stand, and as such are typically carried in a stroller when they are taken out for any extended duration. As a result, parents and care givers of infants, in order to transport their infant, often must first place the infant in an infant car seat while driving, then place them in a stroller upon leaving the car. This creates the need for both a stroller and a car seat, two devices which fill similar but distinct roles.
To address the above, various combination car seat-stroller designs have been proposed. However, such designs can compromise the ability of the device to safely function as a car seat, or may be impractical to use. Other proposed designs include attachments for infant car seats that enable a car seat to function as a stroller. Such devices can be limited for use with specially configured car seats or may need to be removed before the car seat can be replaced in the car.
In view of the above, it can be appreciated that there are certain problems, shortcomings or disadvantages associated with the prior art, and that it would be desirable if an improved infant car seat were available that was capable of functioning as both a car seat and a stroller, and was also capable of functioning with a wide variety of commercially available car seats.